Love Hina

Guest Author - Lesley Aeschliman

Love Hina is a shonen comedy anime series based off a manga series written by Ken Akamatsu.

Love Hina takes place in Kanagawa Prefecture. The main focus of the series is a clumsy 19-year-old cram school student named Keitaro Urashima. When he was younger, he was friends with a girl; they made a childhood promise to enter Tokyo University together. The girl moved away, and over time, Keitaro forgot her name. However, he has been trying to fulfill that childhood promise, but he has failed the Tokyo University entrance exam twice.

When Keitaro's grandmother, who manages an all girls' dorm in Tokyo, decides to leave to go on a journey, she sends Keitaro a message asking him to come visit her. However, she neglected to tell Keitaro that she expects him to act as the manager for the dorm. When Keitaro first arrives at the dorm, the girls don't know he’s supposed to be the new manager, and think he's a pervert.

Keitaro's Aunt Haruka arrives and explains the situation. At first, the girls object to Keitaro becoming the new manager, because they believe a male shouldn't be managing an all girls' dorm. Keitaro is often involved in misunderstandings with the girls, for which the girls often physically and/or mentally punish him (for comedic effect).

Naru Narusegawa is a 17-year-old resident of the dorm, and she is also studying to enter Tokyo University. At first, she dislikes Keitaro, but she overhears Haruka telling Keitaro that if someone doesn't manage the dorm, it will more than likely have to shut down. While she still sees him as a clumsy oaf, she is willing to become his study partner.

Motoko Aoyama is a 15-year-old high school student living at the dorm. She instantly dislikes Keitaro, and attacks him with a wooden sword on a regular basis. She is also the tallest person in the dorm; she is even taller than Keitaro.

Kaolla Su is a 13-year-old foreign transfer student living at the dorm. She is hyperactive and tends to treat Keitaro as a plaything. Kaolla also has quite a talent for creating gadgets and weapons.

Mitsune Konno goes by the nickname of Kitsune. She is a 19-year-old freelancer who lives in the dorm and is a school friend of Naru's. She is often drunk, and enjoys teasing Keitaro.

Love Hina is a harem show that includes sexual undertones and innuendo that isn't suitable for young children. I would recommend Love Hina to anime viewers 16 or 17 years of age and older.